A visit to a virtual zoo or animal park is the perfect stay-at-home activity to do with the kids that is fun and educational. Around the world, zoos and animal parks are bringing their tours and educational programs online. Read on to explore just some of the amazing virtual zoos and animal parks that are offering an at-home, virtual experience. You can be exploring the depths of the ocean one day, check in on a family of cuddly koalas, then watch some playful orangutans the next.
- Taronga Zoo, Australia
- Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Australia
- Zoos Victoria, Australia
- San Diego Zoo, USA
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo, USA
- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, USA
- Houston Zoo, USA
- Monterey Bay Aquarium, USA
- Longleat Safari Park, UK
Grab a picnic rug, a pair of binoculars, some of your little ones favorite furry animals and visit your favorite virtual zoo or animal park from the comfort of your own living room (don’t forget to take some photos).
Taronga Zoo, Australia
With Taronga TV, you can tune in daily to see your favourite animals, meet the friendly keepers and learn what goes on behind the scenes at Taronga Zoo.
Watch animal live-streams, keeper chats and special animal shows from the comfort of your lounge room.
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Australia
You can explore some of our amazing Aussie wildlife via Queensland’s Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary’s animal webcams. There’s lots to discover including koalas, reptiles, dingoes and platypus.
Find the details of all the webcams here.
Zoos Victoria
You can bring to life the three zoo’s that are run by Zoos Victoria from anywhere around the world with live cams, Keeper Talks and other virtual updates. The three zoos you can virtually visit are Healesville Sanctuary, Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo. Each one provides a unique and immersive experience that attracts visitors from around the world.
Visit the animals at home and find a live cam you would like to watch.
San Diego Zoo, USA
Go on a virtual tour of San Diego Zoo where you can see apes, elephants, giraffes, polar bears, tigers, pandas, and many more! Head to this link to see the extensive list of live webcams.
San Diego Zoo also have an awesome website dedicated entirely to kids! There, you’ll find a wealth of resources for students including animal information, stories, activities, games, and arts and crafts.
Smithsonian’s National Zoo, USA
Smithsonian’s National Zoo is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Washington, DC. You can watch lions, giant pandas, elephants and naked mole rats via their live webcams.
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, USA
With the Cincinnati Zoo’s Home Safari Resources, kids can learn about more than 50 different animals while enjoying 100+ educational videos and activities.
Houston Zoo, USA
Tune in to the Houston Zoo webcams and enjoy a live look at animals that call the zoo home. See the herd of Asian elephants roaming, watch as giraffes nibble lettuce, see the rhinos roll in their mud puddle, and more!
Head to the Houston Zoo website to explore the different animals live on camera.
Monterey Bay Aquarium, USA
Monterey Bay Aquarium has a focus on local marine life around the Monterey area in California USA. Be delighted by the antics of sea otters or mellow out to the hypnotic drifting of jellyfish as you watch their live cams. Visit the Monterey bay Aquarium website to find all the live cams they offer.
Longleat Safari Park, UK
Longleat, one of the UK’s most-loved safari parks, has created a virtual safari series for online visitors to enjoy at home.
With three separate tours to choose from, you’ll meet a whole host of wildlife including meerkats, aardvarks, porcupines, red pandas, lorikeets, Californian sea lions, gorillas, and many more!
So, there you have a range of fantastic virtual zoos and animal parks that offer resources and boredom busters that are sure to bring a smile to the kids’ faces. For more ideas on what to do with the kids whilst at home, check out these 10 YouTube Art & Craft Channels for inspiration.
